A few years ago, I reviewed “The One Man” by Andrew Gross. It remains one of the best historical thrillers I’ve ever read. Outstanding suspense, fascinating historical details and based on a true story, this title continues to be one that I often recommend to others.
Generally speaking, I like my kidlit with unambiguously happy endings, but this week I’m reviewing two books that put me on edge, each in different ways. Considering the Halloween season is upon us, I suppose that is appropriate.
Leaves so crisp and bright.
Champaign Public Library
Provost Andreas Cangellaris expressed full support Thursday for the project first made public a year ago, but he said planners need to continue their consultations with library users, who had plenty of questions Thursday.
The Latest
If you follow movie — and TV-show — news very closely, you may have heard that Netflix recently announced a television adaptation of Leigh Bardugo’s young-adult novels: the Grisha trilogy (beginning with “Shadow and Bone,” the title of the upcoming show) and the Six of Crows duology.
“The Downstairs Girl” (Putnam 2019) by Stacey Lee is set in 1890 Atlanta, 13 years after Reconstruction has ended.
Orange, red, copper brown
Champaign Public Library
The New York Times best-seller who is set to speak from 7 to 8 p.m. about her latest legal thriller and give away copies of ‘Someone Knows’ to the first 350 people through the doors, which open at 6:30, shared a few of her favorite things with Editor Jeff D’Alessio.
As a reviewer, I’m sometimes sent copies of upcoming picture books. These two books, scheduled to be published in 2020, stood out as being particularly great new stories.
We’re getting to the time of year where Halloween preparations are in full swing. At the library, the horror movies fly off the shelves like vampire bats, and readers creep through the stacks looking for scary stories. Big names like Stephen King and Dean R. Koontz are perennially popular, b…
Powerful brush strokes
Champaign Public Library
Given Essie Harris' lifelong dedication to the library and her community, the Champaign City Council will vote Tuesday on designating the portion of Fifth Street between Tremont and Grove streets as Honorary Essie Harris Way.
It’s not often you get a “do-over” or mulligan in life, but that’s exactly what happens to Chase Ambrose in Gordon Korman’s novel “Restart” (2017, Scholastic Press). The first scene opens with Chase waking up in the hospital and learning that he’s had an accident that resulted in a separated…
Champaign Public Library
Pity the cricket
The 2003 drownings of three children at Clinton Lake in DeWitt County and the criminal cases that followed drew wide interest at the time in East Central Illinois and, more recently, a book.
The Champaign Public Library is excited to announce an evening with Lisa Scottoline on Oct. 1.
High school student Darius doesn’t fit into American life or Iranian life in the warm-hearted “Darius the Great is Not Okay” (Dial 2018) by Adib Khorram. Named after the great Iranian leader Darioush, Darius visits his mother’s family for the first time, in Iran.
Champaign Public Library
Late summer sulphurs,
It’s a haunting start to a compelling true story: 4-year-old George Takei and his younger brother and sister are hurriedly woken from sleep by their father. As they quickly dress and pack a few belongings, there is an abrupt knock at the door and two soldiers with bayonets force them from th…
Now that our readers are back in school, many stories will play out in the classroom. Here are two recent picture books centered in a school setting, each in their own way exploring themes of kindness.
Champaign Public Library
My cat, Julius, bows,
It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed a funny, goofy book, and so this week, I went on a quest to find one worth sharing.
“Remembering is a chair that is hard to sit still in,” Sarah M. Broom writes, halfway through “The Yellow House.” Indeed, her memoir does not sit still but moves gracefully through the inner and outer world of her New Orleans-based family.
Cicada din loops
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